Gamelan Gita Asmara

After a hiatus of several years, Gamelan Gita Asmara (Gamelan of the Song of Love) is back in full force! The Vancouver ensemble of 25 musicians performing traditional and contemporary music of Bali, Indonesia on a spectacular and authentic gamelan (ensemble of bronze gongs, metallophones and drums), will perform on Friday April 27 at 7 P.M. at the Roundhouse Community Arts Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver). Ticket prices are $15/$10 students and seniors/$5 kids, and are available here or at the box office on the day of the performance.

Comprised of local performers dedicated to the arts of Bali, Gita Asmara is joined by our new artistic director, the spectacularly talented Balinese performer and composer Putu Gede Sukaryana (Balot). In Vancouver since September 2017, Balot is Andrew Fellow visiting artist at UBC, and this concerts showcases many sides of his talent. Under his direction Gita Asmara prepares the complex music in the traditional manner of memorization and intensive rehearsal over many months. The combined effect of the music and instruments is dazzling, making the concert appealing to people of all ages. We present the world premiere of Balot’s new composition Kala Raung, a wild fantasia featuring nearly 40 gongs of all sizes, augmented with digital projections created by Vincent Van der Haaf. Other pieces include Byomantara (Big Sound from Outer Space) in the dynamic modern Balinese style called kebyar, and Kupu-Kupu Kuning(Yellow Butterflies) in the mellower classical style.

Opening for Gita Asmara will be Gamelan Bike-Bike (a new gamelan built from bicycles and scrap here in Vancouver), performing a new work by Balot alongside music from their 2017 release Hi-Ten; percussionist Greg Samek performing “patterned music for drums and marimba” together with Balot; and followed by Anomali (Balot’s innovative music for three musicians).

Gita Asmara acknowledges the Support of the Roundhouse Community Foundation, The Consul General of Indonesia in Vancouver, and the University of British Columbia’s Andrew Fellowship and School of Music.